Who we are
Springboard-Lab is a free, independent resource hub for African entrepreneurs and solopreneurs. We are based in South Africa and committed to the protection of personal information as required by the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).
This policy explains what information we collect when you visit our site, use our tools, download templates, or interact with us — and how we use, store, and protect it.
What we collect
Information you give us
- Email address, name, or other contact details if you submit a contact form or sign up for updates
- Messages, questions, or feedback you send us
- Any information you voluntarily include in a form submission or inquiry
Information collected automatically
- Anonymous usage data: pages visited, time spent, referring URLs, browser type, and device type
- Aggregate interaction data from interactive tools (e.g. calculator inputs) — never tied to your identity
- Cookie-based session data for site functionality (see Cookies section below)
What we do NOT collect
- Sensitive personal information (race, health, religion, biometrics, political opinions)
- Financial account numbers, ID numbers, or precise location data
- Children's data — this site is not directed at anyone under 18
- Any data from third-party sources about you
How we use your data
We use collected information only for the following purposes:
- To respond to your inquiries and provide support
- To improve our content, templates, and tools based on aggregate usage
- To send occasional updates if you have explicitly opted in — you can unsubscribe at any time
- To maintain site security and prevent abuse
We do not sell your personal information to anyone. We do not use your data for advertising profiling or automated decision-making.
Legal basis (POPIA & GDPR)
Under POPIA, we process your information on the following lawful bases:
- Consent: when you submit a contact form or opt in to updates
- Legitimate interest: to operate and improve the site, protect against abuse, and understand how visitors use our resources
- Performance of a service: to respond to your specific request or inquiry
For users in the European Economic Area, the same bases apply under GDPR. If we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.
Cookies
Springboard-Lab uses minimal cookies:
- Theme preference — remembers whether you chose light or dark mode (localStorage, not a server cookie)
- Session cookie — temporary, deleted when you close your browser, used only for site functionality
- Analytics cookie — if we deploy anonymous page-view analytics, this is a non-identifying, aggregate-only cookie. No cross-site tracking, no personal data
We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, fingerprinting scripts, or third-party marketing cookies. You can disable cookies in your browser settings; the site will still function.
Third-party services
Springboard-Lab is hosted on a static infrastructure. We may use the following third-party services, each of which has its own privacy policy:
- Cloudflare — CDN and DNS. Cloudflare processes IP addresses for security and performance purposes. Cloudflare Privacy Policy
- GitHub Pages / Vercel — hosting provider for static site delivery. Their standard server logs may record page requests
We do not embed third-party trackers, social media widgets, or advertising networks on this site.
Data retention
We retain your personal information only as long as necessary:
- Contact form submissions: up to 12 months after the last communication
- Email subscriptions: until you unsubscribe
- Anonymous usage data: indefinite in aggregate form only
When data is no longer needed, we delete or anonymise it securely.
Your rights (POPIA & GDPR)
You have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: request a copy of the data we hold about you
- Correction: ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Deletion: ask us to delete your personal data, subject to legal obligations
- Restriction: ask us to limit processing of your data
- Portability: request your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Objection: object to processing based on legitimate interest or direct marketing
- Withdraw consent: at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing
To exercise any of these rights, contact us. We will respond within 30 days as required by POPIA.
Data security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:
- HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted to and from this site
- Minimal data collection — we only collect what we need
- No storage of sensitive personal information on our servers
- Regular review of our data-handling practices
No internet transmission is 100% secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your data in line with POPIA requirements.
Cross-border data transfers
Our hosting providers (Cloudflare, Vercel, GitHub Pages) operate globally. Your data may be processed on servers outside South Africa. When this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place (standard contractual clauses or equivalent mechanisms) as required by POPIA Section 72.
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted on this page and the effective date at the top will be updated. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Complaints
If you believe we have processed your personal information in a way that violates POPIA, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:
Information Regulator (South Africa)
JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001
Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za
Website: justice.gov.za/inforeg
We encourage you to contact us first so we can resolve any concerns directly.
Contact
For questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data:
Springboard-Lab
Email: spring@thetetherlab.com
Response time: within 30 days